Retired professionals advise Lowcountry nonprofits

For The Sun Today A team of Encore Professionals donated more than 650 hours of consulting services to the Boys & Girls Club for four strategic projects impacting the club's programs and business operations.

For The Sun Today Susan Harper, founder of Encore Professionals Group, moved to Sun City in 2003. She founded EPG to meet the needs of the Lowcountry's nonprofits and its many retirees who want to be productive and challenged.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Lowcountry recognized 16 residents for providing about $100,000 worth of free consulting to organizations.

The team from Encore Professionals Group donated more than 650 hours of consulting services to the club for four projects impacting programs and business operations.

The strategic initiatives completed three-months were:

• Development of an after-school reading program to support learning in the public schools

• Volunteer development to help the club attract and retain volunteer talent

• Information technology assessment to improve and consolidate IT services and efficiencies

• Impact metrics to measure and track program effectiveness and outcomes

Chris Protz, executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Lowcountry was grateful for the group’s help.

“Encore Professionals Group far exceeded our expectations,” said Protz. “We could not have developed such programs with our current staffing, especially in such a short timeframe.”

Encore Professionals Group is a consulting service for nonprofits, which links retirees having specific business, leadership or professional skills with short-term, strategic projects at Lowcountry nonprofits.

Protz said the Boys & Girls Club of Bluffton would have to pay a typical consulting rate of $150-$200 per hour for the expertise of the marketing, IT, human resources, education, and business professionals who assisted the Boys & Girls Club in developing the four benchmark programs.

Susan Harper, founder of Encore Professional Group, said the quality of professional talent available in Beaufort County is phenomenal. She has 23 retired professionals who volunteer.

“I am very impressed with the level of commitment and expertise each consultant contributed,” Harper said. “Most volunteers want to do something interesting, challenging, part-time and help others. Most want to make sure the nonprofit actually uses the recommendations and finds the work of value.”

Morrison was the lead consultant with the information technology assessment team which researched and recommended IT services. He retired after a career managing technology services, but continues working as an individual consultant in Hilton Head.

Morrison said he volunteered with Encore Professionals Group because he felt he could make a difference.

“Boys & Girls Club is a great organization that needs help, they’re doing it for the kids and not themselves,” Morrison said. “I had no idea of the facilities and offerings they have for young people or even how they make a difference. If I had kids today, mine would definitely be in afterschool programs.”

Geist also helped with the IT side of the consulting for the Boys & Girls Club of the Lowcountry. Although he isn’t retired, Geist made time to volunteer on the consulting project.

“I wanted to give back in a place where I can use the skill set I’ve learned over the years,” Geist said. “Working for a club was a plus. I led the IT team and we looked at the applications more from the management side of the business and how the club manages the membership, then focused on infrastructure, network, security, expanding video surveillance. I was delighted we were able to help in so many ways.”